Written by tinnitus
Posted on: 04.13.2009 at 01:47pm
Section: Tutorials
A small graphical tutorial to the newest member of the debian family. A net install images was downloaded and burned to a DISC. At the end of the install, is a few sections with instructions addressing Software Sources, Synaptic Package Manager, Installing Applications with Aptitude, Nautilus File manager, Desktop Panel Bar, Appearance, Services and Sessions Preference, Install Nvidia and ATI drivers, Top ten New Linux Users Command Line Commands, Lenny to Squeeze, Sessions/Services Information. I'll try and use that old Arch linux theme KISS. You can find whatever you need to know about debian here. There are many tutorials and much more here at Raiden's Realm.
Installer boot screen
* Install
* Graphical Install
* Advanced options
* mHelp
Selecting the first two will start the install process immediately.
Advanced options has a few submenus, Graphical Expert, Rescue, Graphical Automated and Desktop Environment Selection GNOME is the default. I choose Automated.
Whatever method you choose, the procedure is simple very easy. I did the Graphical Expert Install using the Full 5 DVD set I bought, onto my Laptop, and the only differences really is time, and about 50 input screens.
All you need to know here is, if you take a screen shot it shows the file going to /var/log it actually goes to var/log/installer.
Very generous on the swap and route.
User Full name and user name screens are missing. No film
The disk ejects and system reboots.
Brand new, beautiful, awesome Debian Lenny.
Software Sources,
Panel Bar click System, Administration Software Sources, provide root password, if repuested.
Sources has five tabs Debian Software Third Party Updates changes will be made to these there.
Downloadable from Internet check all five. Packages have to be pulled in from these sources. DFSG is an acronym for Debian Free Software Guidelines more here.
If cdroms are checked uncheck them. Mark, if not, volatile. Basically some software you have on your system may change daily or not, but changes that are made could affect the operation to some applications such as a virus scanner and its database checking these sources would prevent that from happening.
Checking security updates is very wise. Proposed updates if checked you would pull in these updates a few at a time, eventually you would be pulling in larger pieces as they get placed in there source containers.
Automatic updates on my main rig I have it set to Check and Install security updates without confirmation and this rig I do it manually.
Synaptic Package Manager, enable you to install and remove software on your computer and to manage that software. Software is bundled and that is called a package. Managing the packages on a system can be a difficult task. Debian provides excellent tools to mange this task and Debian takes that task further by providing many tools to do this jon that is so Debian. There is add/remove, Synaptic, apt-get, dpkg, gdebi and aptitude. Some graphical, some not. All easy as ABC.
Use the mangers built in help, Google or visit the debian support sites.
From System Administration and Synaptic Package Manager
Information overload Top is the Menu Bar with an action toolbar. A section window with categories to reduce down shown packages. The Packages list window contains information on the packages selected. Description window details the package you selected. Status Bar displays information on number of packages available to you (only 23,000+), number installed, broken, install/upgrade number and how many to remove, if any.
If this manager is going to be the one used on your system a little time (not much) should be spent reading the help and trying dry runs. This is just a quick introduction.
First thing I do when the manager is loaded press the reload button provides the latest and greatest versions available from the sources files.
You should have by now, if you have a live connection, an orange update icon near the clock. On the tool bar choose Mark All Upgrades, then apply until the download begins.
Click the search icon and input liferea in search field. It quickly locates liferea displaying it in the package window, also proving a package description. Notice the box next to it is green. Green indicates that this package is already installed. Click on the green box, slide the mouse down the window stopping on Mark for removal. Notice the green box has an X inside, indicating removal, click on the package just underneath, notice the red throughout the package name line a warning something is wrong. Click help choosing Icon legend. This is a good tool as one can see at a glance if some thing is wrong. Click back to the package right clicking and choose umark. The package window is now safe. Use search again, input gdebi, read the info screen, then mouse on it, right click mark for installation a widow appears indicating it will pull in gdebi-core with it because it is a requirement. When ready click the Apply Icon and again. The install starts and will advise when complete. Gdebi it a great simple tool, it also attaches itself to your right click screen when using Nautilus the file manager. As previously mentioned it is wise to spend time reading and getting a feel for this tool.
Installing Applications with Aptitude,
Using that ever so difficult popular Linux myth the command line. Select Applications -Accessories and Root Terminal, provide password or press Alt+F2 enter xterm and whack return.
I used xterm, and do not have root/admin power. To get it type su and enter, then the root password. Another way Alt+F2 type gksu xterm then root/admin. password if required.
Debian uses Evolution email and Calendar client. A great application, but I like icedove (thunderbird without the branding) this is one way, with one package manger to download and install an application.
Type aptitude install icedove
press enter
The package is pulled in and installed. If there were any problems a message would have appeared on the screen. Goto Applications Internet, you should see Icedove listed. If you do not want it go back to xterm and enter aptitude remove icedove. Back to the terminal type aptitude and press enter, see the strange blue thing below.
My choice for a package manager, just a choice really, I happen to think it is a little better, but it really is just, because I like. Reminds me of the MsDos days and RGB monitors and Norton Commander. Press q and the y. Close the console. Ctrl+d
Nautilus File manager,
Double click on your Home Desktop Icon or Places Home folder. Click Edit mouse down to Preferences and click.
The changes made here work, for me on my machine, they are not used to speed up my system as it is fast anyway, but they do improve nautilus to some extent. These settings do block out file,
thumbnail, icon text information, but if you are using nautilus right clicking a file name provides another source of information.
Changes will be made to Behavior, Display, List Columns and Preview. GNOME-Commander, once the File Manager for GNOME is a fast and powerful graphical manager. It has a two-panel (split screen) similar to Norton, Midnight and Window Commander. Available for installation using your favorite package manger.
To use nautilus with root/admin. Power press Alt+F2 enter gksu nautilus providing the required password.
Behavior,
Single click takes a little to get use to. Just have to get use to using the shift and Ctrl key if you do not have what you drop the mouse on to open.
Always open in browser windows Tab Browsing. If not used your files and folders are opened as objects many windows.
Executable Text files Ask each time. A dialog window ask if you want to execute a file or show it on the screen.
Trash Include a Delete command that bypasses Trash. When you right click a file or Folder and you have delete authority on the context menu move to Trash is present, if you want Delete there as well choose this option. The file is deleted without confirmation and you cannot get it back.
Display Tab
Make the three windows read none.
Format whatever you decide.
List Columns
Check Name only deselect the rest.
Remember right clicking provides information
Preview Tab
Make everything read never and set thumbnails to 1MB
Click Close
Desktop Panel Bar,
The trouble with small monitors to me is eye strain and large monitors is neck strain. On larger displays having the kicker bar/panel bar on top is perfect. I dislike the bottom panel bar due to my eyeglasses and remove it, placing it on the left side (predominant left eye) in the middle, shrinking it down and add the Workplace Switcher and four workspaces, there are three Icons attached to it.
To do this requires a few steps, adding, removing and proving names to the workspace windows which makes thing a little easy. The current setup made be great for you or it can be changed to meet your requirement.
Right click empty space on the bottom panel,
Select Panel Properties
Click Orientation Window and choose (I used left)
Increase Pixel size to your liking
Background Image choose Solid color Adjust Transparent to taste
Click Close
Goto Top panel, mouse over and right click Browser, choose remove from panel. Do the same to the email client.
Click Applications, Internet mouse over Browser then drag and drop it on your left panel, drop whatever else you want there.
Right click empty place on left panel choose Add to panel, scroll down to the bottom of the window that opened mouse over and highlight Window List, then click the Add button close it.
Mouse over the show desktop icon, right click and remove it.
Right Click Window List (little square bar) choosing preferences
Choose Show windows from all workspaces
Never Group windows
Restore to native workspace
Locate your Desktop Switcher, right click and select preference.
Show all workspaces in 1 columns
Number of workspaces 4
Workspace Names, click Workspace 1 and click it again and press Backspace or delete enter a name for the window I use Main Net Term Work
Do the same to the rest, then select Show workplace names in switcher, closing when complete
On a panel icon right click and deselect always on top and Check always Visible
On empty space in left panel, then properties uncheck Expand
Top Panel, right click and choose Add scrolling back down to the bottom - mouse over and highlight Window List, then click the Add button close it.
Right Click Window List on the Left panel (little white square) and remove. Panel shrinks
Back to the Top panel locate the little Window select square, the one on the outside left and drag it to the left towards System as far as you want
Back to the Top panel, right side at the end is a Window Select you can remove it if you want
With this arrangement I had no need for the three desk top icons, which I removed Trash can be added to the panel, Home and Computer from Places and other ways. As mentioned, it is all a matter of choice, whatever way you want to set it up you can. Linux is about choices. It takes a little time to do gets quicker. Now go do the same with Windows.
Appearance, System -Presences Appearance
Most of this is straight forward Themes, if you choose Customize you get a few more themes, Simple is also a good one, you can also download themes and install them. Interface Tab Most people do not like this one, but you can choose not top have Icons in the Menu Bar. On my main rig it is all cranked up.
Services and Sessions Preference,
Within these two sections, it is possible to reduce the number of resources being used, thus freeing up memory and general resource overhead. A good knowledge of your system is required. Remember that it may not work on your system, it can break it. Like the man said if you break it you own it I own so many things.
System Administration Services
I found some information on the Debian Site regarding some of the services list here. It is at the end of this guide.
Two action services I know I do not require them, but you should read the information section.
Disabled by me.
GDM yes required, but you can get in another way.
Mail disabled.
Multicast DNS Disabled. Basically, if you have a wired and wireless connection like most laptops, having this enabled, enables you to disconnect the wired, the wireless should auto kick in. Roaming. I do not use this on my Laptop as it only takes a click to get the wireless working.
Power - Disabled, I manage my open power.
Port Mapper off by Default.
This one is an easy one all off. I do not have blue-tooth, printer, updates are manual, no sound network, power, kerneloops, or visual assistance required.
Install Nvidia and ATI drivers,
Open a term window with Applications/Accessories or Alt+F2 and enter xterm become root type su and enter your password. The repositories for this install are already include, but installing Nvidia drivers requires that we shutdown our Desktop X.
In xterm widow, enter these commands as root,
* /etc/init.d/gdm stop
* aptitude update
* aptitude install module-assistant
* m-a update
* m-a --non-inter prepare
* m-a auto-install nvidia
* aptitude install nvidia-xconfig
* modprobe nvidia
* /etc/init.d/gdm start
If you have any problems installing the nvidia drive, goto this site. ATI driver Install goto http://support.amd.com/us/download/Pages/index.aspx
to download the driver.
Check your Browser download path if Iceweasel or Firefox, goto Edit, preferences and set a download path other then your desktop. Remember the download folder.
Open an xterm window and become root. Goto the directory where the driver is and enter sh ./ati-driver-installer-9.2-x86.x86_64.run
Agree to the License and click through the screens, then enter
/usr/bin/aticonfig --initial to config or aticonfig initial
Reboot required at the end of this installation.
Top ten New Linux Users Command Line Commands,
The admins at LXPages.com compiled 10 commands that every Newbie Linux user should definitely know to start being effective.
1) ls
This basic command is your eyeball into the filesystem. Use it to list the contents of a directory.
A) To view details such as the file permissions, user and group owner, last time file was modified pass the l option as such
ls -l
B) You can search for filenames by using wildcards. To list files that start with the letter f, use
ls -l f*
2) find
Where did you save that file? Use the find command to find your files. The find command will search where you want it to search and find directories or files that match conditions such as name, date last accessed, file size and more. It has got many abilities, and theyre all listed in the man page.
To search for files starting with the letter f recursively starting from the / root directory use the following
find / -name f*
3) man
What did we mean by the man page? man stands for manual, so man page really means its manual page. Most linux commands have manual pages that describe how the command is utilized. So you can usually type man to view its manual page. Great when youre stuck and dont know what the command is for or how its used. You use it by passing a command line as an option like this
man vi
4) vi
The editor of choice for serious linux users [sorry Emacs fans ;-)]. Use the man vi command to read details on this prince of editors. Maybe this is why I love editing and coding in linux, I never have to lift my hands to do anything. Heres a quick and dirty list of vi commands for you to start using.
A) If you notice on your keyboard the letters (H,J,K,L) are adjacent to each other, which makes them ideal keys to use for navigating this editor.
a) l (move right)
b) h (move left)
c) j (move down)
d) k (momve up)
B) YY - type in Y twice to copy a line
C) DD - type in D twice to cut a line.
D) P - type in P to paste a line.
E)
! - quit without savingF) :wq! - save and quit
G) :w! - save
5) cat
How do you view the contents of a file? You can let the cat of the bag with the cat command! HA! Heres how you can use the command
cat filename.txt
6) more
What if there the file you cat fills more than 1 screen? You can pipe the cat command into more which will allow you to view the contents one screenfull at a time.
cat filename.txt | more
7) grep
And what if you need to search for certain phrases or words in a file? And for this we can use the grep command. Say we want to search for all the occurrences of the word passwd in a filename, we can use the following command
grep passwd filename.txt
If there are matches, the lines containing passwd will be printed.
chmod
You have a script that you need to run, and oh no it wont run? By utilizing the ls -la command you learned you can see if the script has execute permissions. If it doesnt you may give it execute permission by running
chmod +x scriptfile
And of course, you can run the scriptfile if it is a script by running it with a ./ preceding the filename on the shell command line like so
./scriptfile
9) ps
What are you running in the background? How can you tell? By using the ps command of course you can view What processes are running under your account.
10) cp, mv, rm
How do you copy, move or remove a file? Theres actually three different commands for each of these functions.
A) copy
cp oldfilename.txt newfilename.txt
B) move
mv oldfilename.txt newfilename.txt
C) delete
rm oldfilename.txt
Multimedia Codecs install it graphically
goto http://www.debian-multimedia.org/
click on debian-multimedia-keyring package save to your home folder
click home folder
locate file right click it
select Open with Gdebi package Installer or Open with Gdeb
click the install button when the window open input root password
return to browser locate Lenny Stable
highlight deb http://debian-multimedia.org/ lenny main right, choose copy
goto System Administration Software Sources
choose Third-Party Software Tab
click left Add button
paste into the Apt line window that opened then Add Source
close, and click Reload button
GNOME file manager Nautilus has a CD-Burner built into it, we need a little more then it provides and will get one using another install method used at the beginning.
System - Administration Synaptic Package Manager
Click Search input gnomebaker
click on it in the window, right click - Mark for installation then Mark, Apply and Apply again. It installs to Applications Sound & Video
close Package Manager
Open a console/terminal and install a couple more items. Press Alt+F2 input gksu xterm
input password if requested
type aptitude install w32codecs libdvdcss2
type aptitude install flashplayer-mozilla
type aptitude install vlc smplayer
exit when complete
For more multimedia information and howtoos goto http://wiki.debian.org/ choose Software then Multimedia.
System Preferences Preferred Applications
Web Browser Tab, click and select your choice
Multimedia - Choose Player
Terminal Emulator standard xterminal is my choice but, Terminator is a good one, you can download it. Close.
Lenny to Squeeze,
According to Computer Bob you can switch from Lenny to Squeeze (well squeeze testing) by editing your sources.list file, change lenny to testing. The source file is located at /etc/apt/sources.list. It can also be accessed in Software Sources.
Contents of sources.list file.
deb http://ftp3.nrc.ca/debian/ lenny main
deb-src http://ftp3.nrc.ca/debian/ lenny main
deb http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ lenny main
deb-src http://http.us.debian.org/debian/ lenny main
change lenny to testing
Include only sites similar to these and I'm not certain if security is working, as it was shut down and do not choose proposed lenny updates?
Open a term windows as root
aptitude update
aptitude install apt dpkg aptitude
aptitude full-upgrade
Information from Debian.org regarding Sessions and Services
GNOME Services Settings
Actions scheduler (anacron)
Executes scheduled actions
Anacron (like `anac(h)ronistic') is a periodic command scheduler. It executes commands at intervals specified in days. Unlike cron, it does not assume that the system is running continuously. It can therefore be used to control the execution of daily, weekly and monthly jobs (or anything with a period of n days), on systems that don't run 24 hours a day. When installed and configured properly, Anacron will make sure that the commands are run at the specified intervals as closely as machine-uptime permits.
This package is pre-configured to execute the daily jobs of the Debian system. You should install this program if your system isn't powered on 24 hours a day to make sure the maintenance jobs of other Debian packages are executed each day.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/anacron
Actions scheduler (atd)
Executes scheduled actions
Audio settings management (alsa-utils)
ALSA utilities
This package contains utilities for configuring and using ALSA, including:
o amixer: command line mixer
o alsamixer: curses mixer
o amidi: read from and write to ALSA RawMIDI ports
o aplay, arecord: command line playback and recording
o aplaymidi, arecordmidi: command line MIDI playback and recording
o aconnect, aseqnet, aseqdump: command line MIDI sequencer control
ALSA is the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/alsa-utils
Bluetooth device management (bluetooth)
You either have it or do not, or you have it and do not use it. I have it and disabled it in BIOS, something in or near our home was interfering with the Blackberry - disabling it on my rig fixed the problem - Go figure.
Graphical login manager (gdm)
Allows users to login graphically - enough said.
Hard disk tuning (hdparm)(not installed by default - I think)
Tune hard disk parameters for high performance.
Get/set hard disk parameters for Linux IDE drives. Primary use is for enabling irq-unmasking and IDE multiplemode
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/hdparm
http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=32794
Mail Agent (exim4)
Delivers your outgoing mail
An automatic mail-processing tool and filter.
Mailagent is a mail delivery agent, and can be programmed to respond to mail in ways more sophisticated than a mail filtering program like procmail. It is easy to configure, and very easy to extend using Perl. Not only can the base functionality be extended, new commands and processing methods can be added in a modular fashion.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/mailagent
Avahi mDNS/DNS-SD daemon
Multicast DNS Service Discovery
Avahi is a fully LGPL framework for Multicast DNS Service Discovery. It allows programs to publish and discover services and hosts running on a local network with no specific configuration. For example you can plug into a network and instantly find printers to print to, files to look at and people to talk to.
This package contains the Avahi Daemon which represents your machine on the network and allows other applications to publish and resolve mDNS/DNS-SD records.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/avahi-daemon
Utilities for using ACPI power management
Modern computers support the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) to allow intelligent power management on your system and to query battery and configuration status.
ACPID is a completely flexible, totally extensible daemon for delivering ACPI events. It listens on a file (/proc/acpi/event) and when an event occurs, executes programs to handle the event. The programs it executes are configured through a set of configuration files, which can be dropped into place by packages or by the admin.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/acpid
Utilities for Advanced Power Management (APM)
On laptop computers, the Advanced Power Management (APM) support provides access to battery status information and may help you to conserve battery power, depending on your laptop and the APM implementation. The apmd program also lets you run arbitrary programs when APM events happen (for example, you can eject PCMCIA devices when you suspend, or change hard drive timeouts when you connect the battery).
This package contains apmd(
, a daemon for logging and acting on APM events; and apm(1), a client that prints the information in /proc/apm in a readable format.apmd is notified of APM events by the APM driver in the kernel.
Debian kernels are built with APM support but it is disabled by default. You need to boot the kernel with the "apm=on" option if you want to enable the driver. (You may need to add this option to your lilo command line.)
In most cases, users may want to know that there are newer power management schemes, like ACPI.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/apmd
RPC port mapper (portmap)
Portmap is a server that converts RPC (Remote Procedure Call) program numbers into DARPA protocol port numbers. It must be running in order to make RPC calls.
Services that use RPC include NFS and NIS.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/portmap
System communication bus (dbus)
Simple interprocess messaging system
D-Bus is a message bus, used for sending messages between applications. Conceptually, it fits somewhere in between raw sockets and CORBA in terms of complexity.
D-Bus supports broadcast messages, asynchronous messages (thus decreasing latency), authentication, and more. It is designed to be low-overhead; messages are sent using a binary protocol, not using XML. D-Bus also supports a method call mapping for its messages, but it is not required; this makes using the system quite simple.
It comes with several bindings, including GLib, Python, Qt and Java.
This package contains the D-Bus daemon and related utilities.
The client-side library can be found in the libdbus-1-3 package, as it is no longer contained in this package.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/dbus
GNOME Sessions Preferences
Bluetooth Manager
Bluetooth Manager applet
If you used Bluetooth and enabled it, I assume an Icon would be available (shown) on the Desktop?
GNOME Keyring Daemon
GNOME Keyring is a daemon application designed to take care of the user's security credentials, such as user names and passwords. It does not have a user interface.
Kerneloops
kernel oops tracker
kerneloops.org privacy question applet
kerneloops is a daemon that collects kernel crash information and then submits the extracted signature to the kerneloops.org website for statistical analysis and presentation to the Linux kernel developers.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/kerneloops
Network-manager
Network Manager applet
NetworkManager attempts to keep an active network connection available at all times. It is intended only for the desktop use-case, and is not intended for usage on servers. The point of NetworkManager is to make networking configuration and setup as painless and automatic as possible. If using DHCP, NetworkManager is _intended_ to replace default routes, obtain IP addresses from a DHCP server, and change nameservers whenever it sees fit.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/network-manager
Gnome-power-manager
Power management daemon
GNOME Power Manager is a session daemon for the GNOME desktop that takes care of system or desktop events related to power, and triggers actions accordingly. Its philosophy is to completely hide these complex tasks and only show some settings important to the user.
The GNOME power manager displays and manages battery status, power plug events, display brightness, CPU, graphics card and hard disk drive power saving, and can trigger suspend-to-RAM, hibernate or shutdown events, all integrated to other components of the GNOME desktop.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/gnome-power-manager
Print Queue Applet
System tray icon
Printer applet lets you easily manage your printing jobs.
Remote Desktop
Gnome Remote Desktop Server
Either use it or you do not.
Update-notifier
Daemon which notifies about package updates
Update Notifier can check for the availability of new packages for your Debian system. When it detects new versions of the packages installed on the system are available, it will add an icon on the desktop notification area.
The package database has to be updated periodically for it to work. You can setup an automatic update using the software-properties-gtk (for GNOME users) or software-properties-kde (for KDE users) packages. You can also add your own cron schedule, or even rely on a tool such as cron-apt.
This package works with any Desktop system that implements the FreeDesktop notification area specification, like GNOME, KDE and Xfce.
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/update-notifier
Visual Assistance
Start preferred visual assistive techolnogy
Gnome-volume-manager
Volume manager for removable drives and media
gnome-volume-manager is a GNOME daemon that acts as a policy agent on top of the kernel, udev, D-Bus and HAL. It listens to HAL events and reacts with user-configurable actions. Currently it supports automount of new media and hot-plugged devices, autorun, autoplay for CDs and DVDs, and automatic camera management. It is expected to be simple and free of polling and other evil hack
http://packages.debian.org/lenny/gnome-volume-manager
I hope you this is useful and has some clarity to it.
(jinkpen) (at telus dot net )